Category 5 Hurricane Polo Lashes Mexico’s Pacific Coast With Life-Threatening Rains

Hurricane Polo, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the eastern Pacific, reached Category 5 strength off Mexico’s southwestern coast this week, sending life-threatening rainfall and dangerous surf into coastal states.

According to the US National Hurricane Center, Polo’s winds peaked at 180 mph on Tuesday — the result of a record burst of intensification that saw the storm leap from 85 mph to 180 mph in just 22 hours. Forecasters say the system is expected to remain a major hurricane through the weekend while its core stays offshore, tracking northwest parallel to the coast.

Reuters reported that the storm’s outer rainbands had already reached the coast by Wednesday, with the National Hurricane Center warning of 3 to 8 inches of rainfall across coastal Guerrero and Michoacán — enough to trigger flooding and mudslides in steep terrain. A tropical storm warning is in effect from Tecpan de Galeana to Manzanillo.

Mexican authorities suspended classes along parts of the coast and shut ports in Guerrero and Michoacán as a precaution, the Associated Press reported. Civil protection officials urged residents to avoid flooded streets and move away from beaches as hazardous surf and rip currents spread along the coastline.

Sources

• US National Hurricane Center – Hurricane Polo advisories
• Reuters – “Outer rainbands of major hurricane Polo reach Mexico’s coast”
• USA Today – “Hurricane Polo is a Category 5 monster, a ‘rare show of force'”